Wake proposes 30 school sites

As officials talk about plans for the district's growth, protesters gather outside to denounce the year-round calendar

RALEIGH -- Southeastern and eastern Wake County would gain a large share of the 30 new schools planned over the next six years -- assuming this fall's $970 million school construction bond request is approved by voters.

Wake school administrators presented plans Tuesday showing where they think the next round of schools should be built. Reflecting growth in the eastern part of the county, east Raleigh, Garner and Wendell could get 10 new schools.

"The growth is moving eastward as housing follows the construction of [Interstate 540]," said Chuck Dulaney, assistant superintendent for growth and planning.

As the school board met, about 200 opponents of year-round schools picketed outside. For both the protesters and the school district, the bonds are a major focus.

The district is counting on the $970 million in bonds as part of a $1.056 billion plan to build 17 new schools and purchase land for 13 more. It would also pay for 13 major renovations as well as repairs at 100 schools.

School leaders say they need the money to deal with 42,000 new students by 2010. Wake added 7,566 students this year and now enrolls 128,070 students.

In response to criticism that it does not do enough long-range planning, the district signed a contract with N.C. State University's Operations Research and Education Laboratory two years ago to help pinpoint new school locations. NCSU placed schools where students would have the shortest distances to travel. School officials said the suggestions were often similar to locations they had already identified.

"This affirms what we've been doing," said Patti Head, chairwoman of the school board.

NCSU's work was used only as a starting point because the district also has to consider factors such as how a site will affect socioeconomic diversity, Dulaney said. The school district tries to balance the percentage of low-income students in its schools.

In addition to the eastern part of the county, the data recommend seven new schools for North Raleigh. Southwestern Wake could get seven new schools. Northwest Cary and Wake Forest are in line for six schools total.

Year-round opponents

But even as school leaders touted the benefits of the bonds, the protesters threatened to vote against them unless the school board reverses its recent decision to convert 22 schools to a year-round calendar in 2007.

"We're a group that can still be talked into supporting the bonds -- if they drop the mandatory year-round," said Dave Duncan, co-founder of Stop Mandatory Year-Round, the parent group that organized the protest.

Duncan said the group still hopes to persuade the school board to change its mind. Failing that, he said they're prepared to vote down the bond issue and support candidates for county commissioner who will negotiate the elimination of the conversions.

Always in use

School leaders say the year-round schools are needed because they can handle 20 percent to 33 percent more students than traditional schools.

Year-round students are split into four groups, with three in class and one on break at all times, which puts the building in constant use.

Conversion opponents say Wake will not gain as many seats as claimed. They also complain that the year-round calendar will cut into summer vacations and split families who have children on different schedules, especially if older siblings attend high school.

Protesters wore red shirts and waved signs saying "Stop Mandatory Year Round We Will Support The Right Bond," "Hey BOE Do You Hear Me Now," and "It's Not Selfish To Want Family Time." Shouts of "no choice, no bond" also rang out from the protesters as passing vehicles honked their horns in support.

"If they show responsiveness on this issue, I'll support the bond," said Kyle Skrinak, whose two oldest children attend Salem Elementary School in Apex, one of the schools that will be converted. "We can swing the property tax increase."

But Head said that protesters shouldn't expect the district to rescind the conversions. She warned that rejecting the bond issue could force the school district to convert most, if not all, of the elementary and middle schools to a year-round calendar.

"The thing that these parents want is choice," Head said. "The only way we're going to have choice is if the bond issue passes."